—One of a -very- few blogs that discusses about anime, boxing, and a little bit of randomness…

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

The Grand Rio 2016 Summer Olympics Journal!!

The 2016 Summer Olympics, held in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, came in with great controversy—much of it warranted—and left…without (much) controversy. While there were empty seats for events for various reasons (though less prevalent over time and closer to final events), a police shooting, misbehavior of some athletes and coaches (not an unusual occurrence), and a busted bathroom courtesy of one famous swimmer, there was no apocalyptic outbreak of viruses and diseases, nor was egg on the face of Rio organizers or the IOC. It was not a flawless Games, in execution, but it appeared to be handled as well as it possible, given everything. In terms of athletics and competition, however, it was one of the very best, with a healthy mix of masterclasses and upsets.

As per usual with the Olympics, being the big fan of them that I long have, I like to blog on the events and present them here on HD. However, this version is a little different than the others. It's more in a day-by-day, notes-&-comments style and not nearly as long as previous ones (as I was multitasking between the blogging, the Pan de Peace! review and the Games themselves (bless you, Windows 10 app feature!). I just decided to do something different this time around and base the blogging on my immediate thoughts on what I was watching, and not really so much on particular or big-item headlines and events—hence the slight stream-of-consciousness-iness to it. So if you find that I did not comment on something notable or follow-up on something mentioned earlier, that's largely why.

—If this were track-and-field/athletics, soccer/football would have been disqualified/red-carded and kicked out of/removed from the Olympics. And in Brazil/Brasil of all places…

Day 2 or "Pre-Day 2"

—Men's Soccer-like Football: Nigeria-Japan was a great and entertaining watch. Certainly not a bad way to get into the competitive spirit. A harbinger of things to come? B-but…

—If you start your tournament before the Olympics "officially" start…DID IT EVER REALLY HAPPEN?! DOES ANY OF IT EVEN COUNT?!?!

Day 3 or "Day 1"

-Opening Ceremony-

—NBC insists on doing the O.C. on tape delay because they feel they have to explain the minutia of it and that no one will really care or tell the difference, because you are watching it anyway. They also insist on ignoring that tape delay is one of the biggest and longest-running complaints about their coverage and how incredibly chatty and distracting their narration can be…

—The executives are coming off as more out-of-touch and dated than ever. And that's not just NBCUniversal. When athletes are getting shafted in pay in messed-up ways and the USOC is willing to sue you over hashtags, you need an intervention…

—First 20 mins: "LESS TALK…MORE CEREMONIES… UUUURRRRRRRRRRR…"

—What can I say? NBC loves NBC. That's the answer to all of this… And money, since it's a harder to time fit in commercials in a live broadcast/performance show… (Not that that stops them from cutting out content, anyway…)

—Better broadcast than with Sochi's O.C. (less talking and overbearing insights), but those commercial breaks every 5 minutes…and the inset commentary (nice, always down for it, but save that content for after the show)…and Hoda…and the audio quality/mic work…and a few camera cuts…and Hoda…

—A one hour tape delay that led to…just more commercials, no real, substantial context added, and the broadcast ending too late in the evening. Solid…

—…It was really just to cram in more commercials, wasn't it? Be honest, NBC…

(—I know! Given the announcers their **** wine already and keep them off the set!! Problems solved!)

—O.C., itself: alright/OK, but scatterbrained and lacked good flow; for all that director Fernando Meirelles boasted about it being more about the world and not Brazil's history & identity, as well as less tech- and production-heavy—as he criticized the most recent Olympics of over, it was…still about Brazil's history and identity, and came off as a smaller-budgeted and -scaled version of Sochi's extravagant O.C.. You sure told everybody…

—He got screwed over in Athens, but it a heck of a consolation prize for marathoner Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima. Next best person to light it after Pele.

—Alright, I'll be perfectly honest: I was really expecting him to pop up in the end, having pulled a fast one on everyone about a "previous sponsor engagement" and "not being well". Almost well-played…

—The Kip Keino segment, and the award itself, was awesome…

—Only appropriate for Yane Marques to carry the Brazilian flag, given her success in modern pentathlon, an Olympic original sport…

Day 4 or "Day 2"

—Men's cycling road race was way more awesome and entertaining than anticipated. Not to mention difficult, treacherous, and unforgiving. Especially that spiral downhill towards the final area. The ride was a real mix a beauty, danger, and challenge.

—"Welcome to the Rio Games!"

—Only Day 4…or 2…or whatever, and we already have something memorable!!

Day 5 or "Day 3"

—Cycling Road Race = The Official Demolition Derby of the Rio Olympic Games

—What a ghastly crash by Annamiek Van Vleuten (NED).

—Dang, Mara Abbott (USA)…dang. She was giving it her all, but had 0 in the tank towards the very end. It really did not pay to be at the front in within the final 18 km in either road race…

—How many races can you say that it really doesn't pay to be at the front towards the end…

—Fabio Basile, Judo (ITA) with one of the most spirited and charismatic shows of jubilation around

—The "popular" one kind of sounds like the music that plays on the results screen after finishing a fighting game. Which is totally appropriate for something like judo…

—I can picture it now…: action pose of the athlete in the background, promo still of them in the forefront on the right, scroll of points on the left…

—Jade Barbosa (BRA, women's gymnastics): not a stage or character's name. (Also: Cool Name of the Day).

Day 6 or "Day 4"

—From nearly retiring after failing to get on the team last time, to bronze medalist at 30 in the 100m backstroke for USA's David Plummer…

—Ryan Murphy's (USA, swimming) prophetic book he made as a kid… AWWZ…

—U.S. men's gymnastics team. They try so hard and show so much heart, and that makes their continual shortcomings just little less bittersweet…

—Maksim Semiankiv (UKR, men's gymnastics (team)): worst teammate ever? It's one fine time for one, but I seriously hope it was an act of protest of sorts…

Day 7 or "Day 5"

—After touting having the most TV coverage for the Olympics the past few Games and record ratings, NBC's broadcast feels more anemic and "mainstream" this time, like in the past. Even with all of the channels they have at their disposal (excluding CNBC & MSNBC, which have their obligation to news), it feels like there are less broadcasting hours being dedicated and what is there is being used for "bigger", traditional, "mainstream" TV events, especially team sports, like soccer, water polo, beach / volleyball, and rugby (though that is due to its return). Oddly, even basketball feels a little underrepresented…

—Sailing always seems to get the shaft on TV, regardless…

—Michael Jung (GER, equestrian) is still the man. And his horse is still the horse, who came on two weeks notice after his current main had an infection…

—"Anything for an old friend…"

—What I've Learned Today: the less points, the better in equestrian (points start out from what you earned in dressage, everything else afterwards, in cross-country and jumping, is basically meant to trip you up, where the point is to race as cleanly and quickly as possible and get no additional points, which are only given for penalties) and sailing (1 pt. per standing)

—Travis Stevens (USA, wrestling) looks like the real-life version of Tekken's Paul Phoenix, sans hair and with a bit more success. Also looks like he could pass for a pro wrestler (not to be confused with "amateur" wrestlers, who are also at the Olympics and whom he also could pass for).

Day 8 or "Day 6"

—At least Oleg Vernyayev (gymnastics) did Ukraine some justice. He took on far more responsibility than he had to…

—3M Synchronized Diving: Great Britain>Gold, USA>Silver, China>Bronze. That actually happened. Always down for someone other than the usual stalwart powers to win.

Day 9 or "Day 7"

—Again, NBC's "Olympic Zone" program for local affiliates feels more human and enjoyable than NBC primetime/primary hype junket. They do feature some of the same content, but its brevity and attention to local athletes makes it feel more down-to-earth and personal.

—Dat Phelps!!!!

—Anthony Ervin amazes in the 50m freestyle semi and Simone Manuel wins the 100m freestyle. Both tied. And Irvin won his historic gold in a tie, too. History's a trip.

—Hey, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), you got the second best time! Here's the bronze…

—As happy as I am to see Aly Raisman win the silver in the all-around after losing the tiebreaker in London, I am also very glad to see Aliya Mustafina (RUS) repeat for the bronze, given all of her injuries and how she struggled at times during the events, when she was once so fearsome.

—Fencing: one of many sports I wish had a a great presence and prominence in America

—Also: rugby (sort of getting there), swimming, diving (more so than now for both), volleyball, team handball, weightlifting, judo

—She showed she had some stuff when she went on the mic briefly a few months ago, but Sanya Richards-Ross has shown herself to be a real natural commentating…

—And one night after the first African-American female swimmer to win gold, comes the first African-American male to win gold repeat his achievement 16 years later…

—Besides being happy for this, I am just really happy to see Anthony Ervin be in a better place in life, given his odyssey in between Sydney and London (where he finished 4th). Great way to cap off his Olympic career…

—Joseph Schooling, inspired by Phelps, beats him in his final individual race. Also ironic: Phelps tying with Chad Le Clos: his former inspiree-turned-rival(-turned narrative punching bag). Good to see perennial threat/medalist Czeh[sp] tie them, too…

—So…I guess he really "schooled" those greats in the pool, huh? …Huh?

—Le Clos and that perpetual s***-eating Cheshire cat grin of his. He could never get away with a crime…

—Great to see Brazil's women soccer squad gut it out in an epic win, but maybe just a bit greater to see Australia rush and group hug the distraught player whose shot was blocked…

Day 11 or "Day 9"

—At least the US women's fencing team got a bronze (seibaa~ sabre team) out of Rio. Been a rough and bittersweet outing. Can't think of a better way for three fencers to gain their first medals than on the back of a multi-time champion in Mariel Zagunis.

—And now, everyone's getting a KO in boxing…

—Puerto Rico's Monica Puig winning women's tennis is just another reminder of one of the greatest moments in the Olympics: when the unknown or underdog outlasts and/or beats the best and claims a medal, if not win it all outright…

—The woman's 100m race…felt anti-climatic? Maybe it had to do with NBC going straight into it kind of cold, like they've had with major races the last few days in primetime?

—Ryan Murphy, you beast!

—I've never heard Rowdy Gaines so rowdy and exasperated as he has during these Games—and that's saying a lot…

—But unlike others, he can actually pull it off and not sound annoying or grating. His love and knowledge for his sport can never be denied…

—25m rapid fire pistol is as bada** as it sounds. And the shooters look unintentionally bad. They look like they came out of a suspense or espionage story. Or like they occupy a "most wanted" list—which is funny, 'cause one or two of the medalists are police officers…

—Cool Name of the Day: He Zi (CHN, women's 3m springboard)

Day 12 or "Day 10"

—Matt Kuchar's reaction after receiving his bronze in golf said everything that needed to be said. Far cry from that weightlifter a few Games ago who discarded his to the ground (and was deservedly banned for life afterwards)…

—Never been a big golf watcher, but the tournament was very enjoyable, second to the joy and admiration the participants had being a part of it…

—It must feel pretty special to be only one of three people living on earth to have an Olympic medal in a sport. Only three men and three women living today will be able to call themselves "Olympic medal-winning golfers" when everything's complete…

—Golf had no business being out of the Games as long as it had (if ever) and it has no business being tossed aside ever again.

—Also, wrestling. Whoever thought THAT was not a "core sport" of the Olympics and voted to have it removed should've had a seat next to that weightlifter…

—Oh, so it's "Richard H." now, Dick?

—Richard Pound will personally test your doping samples, thank you…

—Men's 400m: great story, great race, great destruction of the great Michael Johnson's WR. That was…great! AND from lane 8 too!! That was as perfect a race as Wayde van Niekirk (RSA) could've ran…

—Oh…and he bulldozed the last two Olympic champs, too. Yeah, he's good-err-great…

Day 13 or "Day 11"

—Canoeing sprint singles: The Most Manly-Looking Event of The Olympics

—Hemingway wrote about this too, right?

—Heavyweight Boxing: Sloppy match, got better at the end, but HE won, and by UD? And after nearly getting stopped in the 2nd? I dunno…

—Sanne Wevers (NED, gymnastics - balance beam) been routine was pretty sweet. Also: Cool Name of the Day

—Thought Laurie Hernandez's (USA) was more flawless & technical, but I guess the spinning, which is rarer, was worth more (not that I am complaining)…

—Approximate face during dressage: :3

—It's so f****** adorable watching horses do little dances!! :3 |3 X3

—Also adorable: all 4'7" of Chinese gymnast Wang Yan, who looks so cute as she scampers around like a lil' chipmunk in a meadow.

—Nearly as adorable: China putting that extra "1" in front of the "6" in Yan's age! Oh, you…

Day 14 or "Day 12"

—Open Water Swimming: Spiros Gianniotis (GRE) came in first, touched second. That's really gotta suck after all that work put in a marathon event, regardless the discipline…

—No one seems to embody the "hardened/no-nonsense coach" persona than weightlifting coaches. Some look as if they are either going to slap their wards or threaten them with disownment and eternal unforgiveness for missing or not getting psyched up for a lift…

—The cream has risen to the top in boxing,

—Alberto Ezequiel Melian (ARG) vs. Murodjon Akhmadaliev (UZB) in the bantam quarters was one good scrap. Couldn't complain too much about the stoppage…

—Behdad Salimikordasiabi (IRI) kinda got shafted by the jury in weightlifting. Decorum's decorum and he technically didn't execute the clean & jerk satisfactorily, but they could have given him a few more minutes, at least. From being the defending champion and setting a world record in the snatch portion, to going home empty-handed at the very end is a very sucky way to go out, to put it lightly…

—I believe we're deep enough in the events to say this, but BeIN Sports has prepared me well for these Olympics, as had Universal HD, which is carrying a sizable load of Universal Sports' portfolio following their demise (RIP, though their ill-conceived hubris over their carriage change did them in the most…), to a lesser extent. I've felt much more informed and connected to what I have been watching and have been enjoying it even more…

—Is the straightforwardness/tell-it-like-it-is, professionalism, presentation, and quality of BeIN any surprise, as it is a spinoff of Al Jazeera? I thought something felt familiar…

—Sigh…Al Jazeera America…

—…SIGH…

—I guess that also explains why it has essentially taken its place as the "always-on" channel on the other live-DVR tuner…

Day 16 or "Day 14"

—Great diving in the women's 10m platform (and overall). Too bad Jessica Paratto (USA) flamed out in the last few dives. Big props to veteran Paola Espinosa (MEX), who overcame a disastrous qualifying and showed her stuffed big to come in 4th. Thought Si Yajie (CHN) would've won it, but it was tight between her and Ren Qian (CHN). Happy for dependable Meaghan Benefito (CAN).

—Don't worry Si, you've at least won "Cool Name of the Day" here. For whatever that's worth…

—Not enough of Canadian diving coach Arturo Miranda. His reactions can be priceless, but then again, his squad have performed strongly…

—Saddest Puppy of the Day: Karch Kiraly, US women's volleyball coach & the country's greatest player, following his squad's loss in the semis.…

—What. A. Match. China & the Netherlands had a highly-competitive semifinal in women's volleyball, one that the 3-1 score masks. Head-shake-worthy mistakes on both sides, too, especially the stream of serve errors by the latter.

—Paul Sunderland & Kevin Barnett have done a great job with the commentary, which you can tell they have fun doing. Barnett's sharp critiques can be brutally honest, but often are not unwarranted.

Day 17 or "Day 15"

—Nice to see a decent-to-good size crowd at modern pentathlon. The sport is getting there in terms of interest, however steady…

—Oh course, it helps if star Yane Marques is the home country favorite…

—Best part of synchronized swimming? The walk up to the pool…

—The rest after it? Hmm…

—I want to and do like the sport, and it is mindbending how they can pull off what they do, but the acting often ventures to the bad side of hammy. Dare I say it makes it feel…outdated? That's way too harsh and mean, but the vibe isn't the greatest…

—Race walking: Or who can race the most quietly…

—It may look weird, but it also looks like one of the most strenuous and taxing of the race events, due to the vitality of form, pace, composure, and rhythm. In short, it's probably a pain in the butt to do… (and there is a 50km version for the men!)

—Women's 20km Race Walk: I miss my cheeky slo-mo shots…

—It was (lovingly) prevalent in Beijing, to a lesser degree in London, and almost non-existent here. They seemed to go out of their way to self-censor any potential "glamour" shot. For example, it appeared as if they were obscuring whenever the girls doused themselves with water by featuring a walker in front of them out-of-focus (or if so, either done from the side with some lens-flaring from the direct sunlight, or panning the camera upward if their wet, glistening posteriors were present during back shots).

—Could all be coincidence, but it is humorous to see in that regard. If true, that's likely for the best, too, as I could only imagine how viral and obtuse the hand-wringing could get if such footage ever got traction on social media. It did kinda feel wrong, funny it was…

—Sweet bell, bro.…

—Rhythmic Gymnastics is love.

—Sometimes, the best & most memorable parts of the Olympics (and other competitions) aren't the big, major stars, but the lesser-skilled, but no-less-enthusiastic, participants. They may not be as clean, good, or well-known as the others, but their heart, effort, and love for what they do can still make their performances all the more worthwhile. Such is the case with someone like Cape Verde's Elyane Boal…

—I saw him in the prelims, but now, after even hanging with Usain Bolt as long as he did, Japan's Asuka/Aska Cambridge might be someone to keep a real close eye on. Only 23 and has crazy raw speed. If he could just work from there and develop it…

—And he's half-Jamaican… Well played, Japan, well played…

—But let's not short-shrift the rest of that team. Where did they get them, too?!

—Man, US men's 4x100m… Still can't catch that break…

—So they use radio-controlled cars to ferry stuff around in the infield of the track-and-field area? Duuuuudddddeeee…

Day 18 or "Day 16"

—I repeat, rhythmic gymnastics is love.

—This is about as close as you'll get to ballet being an Olympic sport.

—I know Laura Zeng (USA) isn't quite at the level of the top gymnasts, but I was really hoping, and thought, she made to the finals, only to see that she very naryly missed cut. Hope she keeps improving and makes it back in Tokyo.

—Nothing says "don't give a crap" like these commercial breaks during performances…

—That is one beautiful looking mountain biking course…

—Cool Name of the Day: Sven Bender, men's soccer (GER)

—Finally, Brazil, finally. And in the most dramatic, Hollywood way possible…

—Matt Centrowitz. Also finally. First US 1500m winner since 1908!

—Sure are a lot of long-term records being broken in these Games…

—Ryan Seacrest's late-night show was actually not unbearable. I was even looking forward to it a little. Sports were put first, had some good interviews and fluff content. Seacrest, too, was not unbearable. Good.

—It's actually kind of nice to see him treat his guests to a grill and drink bar…

—"So…we're down for a Seacrest late—" Alright now, let's not get ahead of ourselves!

Day 19 or "Day 17"

—Overall, streaming >>>> TV. It's not even close. As far as the NBC Sports Windows 10 app is concerned, the experience was great, outside of the occasional difficulty getting it loaded. Full coverages; fine, knowledgeable commentary; and pristine HD quality that put the more compressed cable quality to shame.

—It only seemed like yester-Olympics that I was squinting over a little, pixlated box for a white-water kayaking stream. Now, the picture's better than a HD telecast. How times and technology have changed…

—Then again, I'm not sure how much of the streamcast's effort is thanks to the Olympic Broadcasting Services. It is their broadcasting work that everyone else uses and NBC is appears to be straight-streaming it with the OBS(?) commentators, as opposed to with NBC's TV ones. Still, I'll give the network high marks on their streaming front…

—One negative? The stream was around three mins. behind the TV. Not that I'm surprised by that…

—Really liked the different camera angles used in events such as rhythmic gymnastics and track events. Brought a fresh perspective to them, which is always welcome…

—The criticism of NBC's commentators was overblown. Save for a scant few moments, they were all very good and professional. One of the only good things on NBC's TV side.

-Closing Ceremony-

—Way, way better than the Opening Ceremony!!

—Something like this is how it should have been, at the very least in style.

—Rain, schmein…

—The rain not only hasn't dampen the proceedings (hur hur hur), it doesn't show up as readily on TV from afar and it was actually enhanced the numbers, like the one with the samba dancers (which was so awesome already)…

—And given that it's the end of these Summer Olympics, it's pretty appropriate…

—Best Olympic Teaser: Tokyo 2020. I thought they were going with a more traditional, mild-mannered presentation a la Nagano, not go the "Cool Japan" route. That was slick!

—It was also just the right of slick, wasn't trying too hard or was corny. For everything it did and was trying to convey (hyping a sports event and country), it was just about flawless from every aspect and angle.

—And that's saying a lot, because I was not really looking forward to Tokyo hosting. That may sound like a strange thing to hear coming from a guy doing an (part-) anime blog, but I want to see different cities and locales host Games, not previous ones. I got it on a number of levels, but I was not too enthused…

—This…helped take a little of that sting off.

—Best Olympic Flame Extinguishing: rain putting the flame to (accompanied by actual rain). Singer Mariane de Castro not only performed the song beautifully, and did it while getting inadvertently drenched by the water (and real rain), she appeared to just roll with it and make it part of the act by putting herself in it. Pro.

—It didn't go quite as planned visually, but it still worked out and made for a memorable scene. Kinda like the Games, themselves…

—If this is not the best C.C., then it's got to be at least the second best.

—Best Finale/Closing Celebration: !—

—YES!! A real Carnival celebration (as opposed to the safer, more watered-down from the O.C.)!

—Well…umm…I'm not sure if the censors were, well, distracted, but I'm not sure how any of that went without blurring of some sort, 'cause those tops were barely in holding the excitement…

—What better way to end the night and the Olympics than letting the athletes dance and mingle with the paraders! The C.C. is usually supposed to be a "party" and celebration for them, so what better way to do that than by pulling out all the stops with a Carnival experience?! I was hoping that would be the case, but it turned out even more perfectly than I had imagined…

—The presentation, all of the great music numbers, the dancing, the Tokyo 2020 promo, the show of culture, the rain, the finale… No…no…this really WAS the very best Closing Ceremony ever!!

—Top to bottom, this was everything the Opening Ceremony aspired to and should have been. This might be the first time that I can recall a C.C. being outright better than an O.C. (Vancouver and London may come to mind, but those were only slightly more). In general, it has been great seeing C.C.s planned with more gusto and verve lately…

Final Thoughts

The Rio Olympics, when announced, seemed like a dream come true. The perfect location for the perfect Games. What led from there and to the start was anything but those wonderful desciptors, but what we ended up with during the Games themselves was something a little closer to them, athletically-speaking. The controversies going in and what hung over, the attendance issues, and other matters keep it from being called a "great" Olympics, but given that, the overall lack of expected mishaps, the steadily-improving attendance over time, and most importantly the high quality and spirit of competition, it was certainly, at least, a "very good" Olympic Games, overall.

It was certainly fun and enjoyable to watch, too, but much more so through NBC's streaming app than via TV, which wasn't restrained by limited and repetitive coverage and tape-delay. If these Olympics were one of transition from the current era of star athletes and sporting forces to the next, then I hope NBC's poor ratings will be a turning point in its archaic and stubborn mindset with its televised offerings and presentation.

Here's also hoping—more importantly—that Rio de Janeiro and Brazil will run with the ball and not only make good use of the new buildings they constructed (such as the stacked CariocaArenatriplex), but actually try and better the lives of their citizens and the state of their country.

-Extras Gallery: The Grand Rio 2016 Summer Olympics Scrapbook-

As an added bonus, here are a couple of random screenshots I took of the Games, via the NBC Sports app!! It was like I was actually there, but not…